Tywin Calls A Bluff
by Thaeonblade
Summary: When his daughter threatens to tell the world about the so-called truth of her and Jamie, it is up to Tywin Lannister to educate his stupid daughter on what will happen if she gives life to Stannis' malicious lie. Spoilers for Seasons 1 through 4; Takes during Episode 10 of Season 4.


**Disclaimer:**

 **The following is a non-profit fan-based short story written for fun and not in any way intended for profit.**

 **A Song of Ice and Fire is owned as the intellectual property of George RR Martin and published by Bantam Books. The HBO Adaptation of Martin's work titled Game of Thrones is owned by George RR Martin, HBO, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.**

 **Support official release by buying and reading the A Song of Ice and Fire book series and buying and watching the Game of Thrones official seasons. Personally, I say stick to Seasons 1 through 4 cause it goes downhill after Season 5. But that's just me personally, my point is to support the official owners and creators by watching/buying their stuff.**

 **Okay, onto the short story.**

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Warden of the West, Lord of Casterly Rock and Hand of the King, Tywin Lannister had seen a set of difficult and busy few years.

It all started when Hoster Tully's daughter captured his son Tyrion. Tywin gathered his banners and two hosts totaling 35 thousand men to march against the West, leaving 15 thousand to guard Casterly Rock and the Westerlands. The Riverlanders raised their own bannermen, but Jamie crushed the Tullys at the Golden Tooth and later at Riverrun with 15 thousand men, capturing Edmure Tully and placing Riverrun under seige. At the same time, Tywin encountered little resistance as he took most of the lands watered by the Trident including Harrenhal, Darry, Raventree Hall and other keeps.

Then the Young Wolf tricked Tywin, sending one part of his host to meet Tywin at the Green Fork crossing the river and surprising Jamie at Riverrun. Jamie's host was destroyed and scattered, freeing the Riverlanders to join their strength to the Starks. Tywin found himself cut off from his own lands, within enemy territory while the number of enemies against his house were ever increasing especially thanks to the incompetence of his newly crowned grandson. The fool and his idiot mother destroyed any chance for peace with Riverrun and Winterfell when they executed Eddard Stark and with Renly declaring himself king and Stannis rallying his strength, Tywin saw himself on a war of three fronts.

If Dorne choose to bestir themselves, this would be a war of four fronts.

Fortunately, the Lannisters endured whereas all others fell. Renly was murdered by an unknown assassin; Stannis was soundly defeated during the battle of Blackwater and despite his determination, is no longer a threat to the Iron Throne; and Robb Stark was slain at his uncle's wedding by men under the employ of Roose Bolton and Walder Frey.

Of course, the two of them were acting on Tywin's orders and promises of enlarged lands and titles. Roose Bolton was made Warden of the North, granted Winterfell and was granted a royal decree which legitimized his bastard Ramsey as his trueborn heir, Ramsey Bolton. Walder Frey's house was granted lordship of Riverrun and made Lord-Paramount of the Trident. What Tywin didn't mention was that bringing order to those regions would be the burden of the Freys and Boltons, but it was of little concern to him.

Once the Wedding of Joffrey Baratheon and Margaery Tyrell was completed and House Lannister's alliance with House Tyrell secured, it would be an easy matter to finish off Stannis and bring down the Rebellious Ironborn as Joffrey's father had done years ago. Only now the Greyjoys could not expect the same mercy that Robert gave them before. Tywin would crush the Greyjoys and leave no survivors as to remind the Ironborn of the price of defying the Iron Throne. Then another powerful house would be granted dominion over the Iron Islands and be left alone for as long as they remembered the fate of House Greyjoy and the last Driftwood King.

And then Joffrey died.

Poisoned at his own Wedding by Tywin's own son, Tyrion.

Then Tyrion demanded a trial by combat when a guilty verdict was certain. In this Trial by Combat, Tywin watched as Oberyn Martell fatally wounded Ser Gregor Clegane before Clegane smashed the Red Viper's head open, reminding all of why he was called "The Mountain." While Tyrion has still be sentenced to death, Tywin knew that Dorne would demand justice for Prince Oberyn's death despite the fact that he died as part of a lawful duel.

It was as he pondered these words when his idiot daughter came before him again.

"Joffrey is dead." The Queen-Mother Cersei Lannister reminded her father as she sulked and complained. "Myrcella has been sold like livestock to the Martells and you want to ship me off to Highgarden and steal my boy. My last boy!"

Tywin looked on in cold exasperation as he listened to his daughter prattle on. "Margeary will dig her claws, you will dig in your claws and you'll fight over him like beasts until you have ripped him apart. I WILL BURN OUR HOUSE TO THE GROUND BEFORE I SEE THAT HAPPEN!"

"And how will you do that?" Tywin inquired to the emotional Queen-Mother. With Tommen still a year or two short of coming of age, Tywin was now Lord-Regent and Protector of the Realm. Cersei had no true power and thus, Tywin was humored to hear how exactly Cersei could threaten him. Tywin was curious to see what his daughter could to convince Tywin not to force her to marry Loras Tyrell.

Her response was surprisingly calm. "I'll tell everyone the truth."

"What truth?" Tywin demanded as he looked upon his smug daughter.

"You don't know do you?" Cersei asked as Tywin looked on in quiet confusion. "You never believed it. How was it possible?"

Tywin was quick to understand his daughter's meaning. "And I say of course it was possible. How could someone so consumed by the idea of his family have any conceptual idea of what his actual family was doing?"

"We were right there in front of you and you didn't see us." As Tywin slowly fumed, Cersei continued to taunt The Great Lion of the Rock. "One look at us in the past twenty years. One look at your own children and you would have known."

"Known what?"

A mad smile appeared on his daughter's face. "Everything they say is true. About Jamie and me-"

"No." Tywin kept his will steady, it was all that kept the Warden of the West from vomiting from what he'd just heard.

"Your legacy is a lie!" Cersei said mockingly as Tywin looked away, momentarily unable to face his daughter.

"I don't believe you." Tywin stated as he looked upon his daughter's face. She looked right back at him, smiling a wicked smile and yet he saw the truth in her eyes.

"Yes, you do." His daughter had read him like a book. His hands shook as everything clicked within his mind. He'd always found it odd that all of Cersei's children had blond hair despite the fact that Robert was black of hair. Robert once visited the West and fathered bastard twins within Tywin's own halls. Within a few short years, they both mysteriously died of illness on the same day. Tywin suspected his daughter's hand and now he understood exactly why those black-haired babes had been murdered. It was not out of mere spite.

It was to keep him from knowing the truth.

But Tywin had faced many challenges in his life. He had fought the Golden Company alongside Steffon Baratheon and Aerys Targaryen; he had razed Houses Tarbeck and Reyne until not a soul was left; he had brought prosperity and peace to the realm as Hand of the King to Aerys; he had taken King's Landing to secure Robert's ascension to the Throne; and he had destroyed the Young Wolf with a pen and paper.

He would not lose this contest to his spoiled daughter.

It took a long moment, but Tywin composed himself long enough to speak. "Alright Cersei. Let us suppose that I believed your wild assertions. What do you think will happen to yourself, Jamie and your children if you revealed your lie to the people?"

Cersei was too smug to realize what she had threatened. "Everything you built will have been a lie-"

"No. I wasn't asking about what I've built." Tywin would not tolerate such insolence. "I was asking about what would happen to you and your family? The 7 Kingdoms believe your children to be Robert's and therefore, his rightful heirs. What would happen to Tommen if the Tyrells learned that they'd married their prized flower to a bastard of incest? What will happen to Myrcella when the Dornish find out that they've betrothed their prince to a girl born of incestuous adultery? What will those who were loyal to Robert's memory do when they find out that the king that they fought and died for was not their true king?"

Cersei's visage cracked as she processed through the information that she'd likely forgotten. "I...they...they will-"

"The Tyrells will break off the marriage and return to Highgarden with all 60 thousand of their men!" Tywin sternly declared, but controlled his volume as to keep any other listeners beyond the chamber from hearing him. "The Stormlanders will abandon us and pledge their fealty to Stannis, begging his forgiveness now that they see that his letters were shown to be true! The Northerners and the Riverlanders will rise up against the Freys and Boltons, ensuring conflict without end. The Ironborn will fall on the West while most of its strength is too far away to help it. The Vale's actions are uncertain, but as many lords there were friends of Robert and Ned Stark, I doubt that they would be inclined to aiding House Lannister. Jamie will be arrested and executed for adultery, and with only one hand, his chances of surviving a trial by combat are practically non-existent. Tommen will be deposed and if he's lucky, he'll be sent into exile. Or else, he'll be executed as his very existence is an affront to the Faith. And Myrcella? What do you think the Dornish will do to her? They've been waiting for a chance for revenge for Elia Martell and her children and now Oberyn has died as well. Would you like me to tell you what they'll do to Myrcella?"

Cersei looked upon her grandfather, clearly speechless and on the verge of tears. But was too proud to admit it as Tywin continued.

"Doran will break off the marriage pact that Tyrion made. Then he'll keep Myrcella as a hostage against us." Tywin explained and ignored his daughter's silent pleas to stop. "If the Prince Martell allows his guards and lords to take turns raping my grand-daughter until she becomes the Water Garden whore...I would not be surprised...a more merciful fate would be execution with her head sent to King's Landing-"

Cersei sobbed and fell to her knees. She squeezed her eyes shut, but the tears still fell as she cried. "I'm sorry! It's...none of it is true...I was just..."

"I thought as much. Even you are not so stupid as to let that lie have more life than Stannis has already given it." Tywin muttered without pity. But despite the words he'd spoken, Tywin could no longer deny the truth of his daughter's confession. "Now go to your chambers and never come to me with such nonsense again. The Realm has suffered enough of it already. I won't let you harm our family or my grandson any more than you already have."

Cersei got on her feet and walked past Tywin without another word. After she left, Tywin smashed his hand upon the Council Table and sat in the very seat where Tyrion had sat.

Everyone says that House Lannister has won and yet Tywin was watching everything fall apart.

It all started from when his eldest son Jamie was raised to the Kingsguard by Aerys, now known as the Mad King. For any other knight, this would be the highest honor. But with Jamie, Aerys took away his pride and joy out of spite and left an ill-made, spiteful little creature as his heir. Then Tyrion poisoned Joffrey and has gotten himself sentenced to death when Tywin intended to send the imp to the Wall in exchange for having Jamie remove his White Cloak and take his rightful place as Tywin's heir.

Now Tywin would have to find a way to silence Cersei and Jamie's secret before it undermined the very ground on which Tommen's throne sat. Tywin had placated Cersei for now by reminding her of what happens if that ground gives way. But being the proud fool that she was, it was only a matter of time before Cersei did something to bring self-destruction upon herself.

And she would take everyone with her.

Tywin had not spent his whole life to restore and empower the Lions of House Lannister to see that happen.

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 **Author's Notes:**

 **This short story was inspired by the last conversation that Tywin and Cersei ever had in the show on the last episode of Season 4. Essentially, Cersei had a hissy fit about being married to Loras and being jealous of Margeary's growing hold over her son. So she declares to Tywin that she'll do whatever she has to in order to stick around and protect Tommen, even if it means telling everyone the truth about her and Jamie.**

 **Like many others who watched this scene, I saw this as an incredibly idiotic thing to do.**

 **So this story is my supposition of how Tywin would verbally own Cersei and point out exactly why publically admitting that she has had a long-term incestuous relationship with her infamous twin brother and in the process, cuckolded the late beloved King Robert Baratheon three times over his reign and that the king that thousands have died to protect is actually a bastard of incest. The intelligent and experienced Tywin would lay out that she'd be putting targets on her children's heads, Jamie would be screwed and the Realm's stability would crumble into dust since the authority of the Iron Throne was just undermined in the worst way possible.**

 **In fact, I'm a tad disappointed that Tywin didn't go on a reply like this in the show for the sake of having Cersei "beat her father" even though she just threatened to self-destruct the whole Royal House because she's not getting her way.**

 **It's the equivalent of MAD except that more than 3/4ths of the nukes are pointing at yourself. Whose going to take that kind of threat seriously?**


End file.
